29 June 2007

If you want to see luxury cars, go to Casino Square. There you'll find the Rollers, the Lamborghinis, the Ferraris and more. I don't know who arranges this but I do know that if I were to try to park my car, I'd soon be moved on! "Go to the 'parking' below the gardens," I'd be told. I suppose it's a policy which perpetuates the idea of Monaco as a place of luxury, glamour and over-the-top wealth. Clever marketing actually. This Rolls Royce (or is it a Bentley?) is parked on the Place du Casino - you see the casino to the left and the American Bar of the Hôtelde Paris to the right.

28 June 2007

One of my favourite Monte Carlo sculptures: the Bird Fountain is by the well-known illustrator, painter and sculptor, Jean-Michel Folon and stands in the Place du Casino, facing the casino itself. Born in Belgium in 1934, Folon died in the Principality in 2005. Take a look at this link to read more about this artist and see some of his fascinating work. Readers of the New Yorker will know of his almost surreal art.

27 June 2007

This statue of Hector Berlioz, the 19th century French composer, stands just below the casino (near to the Monte Carlo Opera House) and overlooking the port of Monaco. You'll find all the information on Monsieur Berlioz that you could possibly need at this link.

26 June 2007

Here's a detail of the famous Monte Carlo casino which was built in 1863. Charles Garnier, the legendary architect of the Paris Opera House, created the casino on a grand scale with its rococo turrets and green copper cupolas. As good a place as any, I suppose, to lose your money! Interestingly, Monaco citizens are forbidden access to the casino, as opposed to visitors and Monaco residents who may enter but must produce a passport or identity card.

If you are visiting Monaco, it's well worth the fee to enter the casino and see the amazing gold and marble atrium, the frescoes, bas-reliefs and gold chandeliers.

23 June 2007

Here's the famous Casino with the Mediterranean behind it. If you imagine a square, the Casino forms one end of the square - the Hôtel de Paris is to the right - the Café de Paris is to the left - and opposite the Casino, and behind your photographer, are the Casino gardens.

22 June 2007

Les Thermes Marins de Monte Carlo is a beautifully appointed and modern gym/spa situated opposite the main port of Monaco. This beautiful pool opens onto a sun terrace overlooking the port - there's also a restaurant alongside with a menu of fresh and healthy food. If you work out on the machines you do so with the yachts in the harbour before you. You can have massages, beauty treatments, saunas, work-outs. If you stay at the Hôtel de Paris or the Hôtel Hermitage you can walk through to the spa in your white towelling dressing gown following a special underground tunnel. You can read more at this link.

21 June 2007

Walking on the terraces below the Casino today, I saw this lovely ship approach the harbour. I looked for Johnny Depp but unfortunately he wasn't aboard. Later, eating lunch, I was lucky enough to see her tie up almost bang in front of the restaurant. The third photo shows a close-up of the pilot boat helping her in. I don't know her name or where she comes from but I'm sure Johnny Depp would know...

18 June 2007

This is the Columbus Hotel, situated in Fontvieille, opposite the Princess Grace Rose Garden and two minutes from the Heliport. It's owned by the Scottish Formula One driver, David Coulthard and Glasgow hotelier and Monaco resident, Ken McCulloch. The hotel was opened by Prince Rainier in 2001. Click on this link to see pics of the beautiful modern yet relaxing interior.

17 June 2007

16 June 2007

This area is outside the main supermarket of Monaco. It's called Carrefour and is in Fontvieille: the area reclaimed from the sea. You can see le rocher in the background where you'll find the Palace. If you walk up the steps you'll come to the Museum of Antique Automobiles - for a photograph click here.

You can pause for a coffee or sandwich before or after shopping. Office workers come here for lunch. The photograph below is of the opposite side of this area and the supermarket itself is beyond the arches. You can see another photograph of the supermarket here.

15 June 2007

This is taken from the pedestrian street, Rue Princesse Caroline, in the port area. The steps (plus escalator) lead up to some narrow streets with little restaurants and eventually, to Monte Carlo's market in Places d'Armes.

14 June 2007

This photograph of the northern part of the Casino gardens was taken from the Winter Sporting, which is where you'll find the main cinema of Monte Carlo. These gardens have many beautiful and rare trees and are always kept in beautiful condition. You can see another photo here.

12 June 2007

This statue is opposite a children's playground in Fontvieille. It's just by the circus tent and near to the gardens posted yesterday. Sorry I don't know the name of the sculpture or the artist. As you can see it was raining and so I ran for cover. Wimp! I've a feeling this statue could depict a nursery rhyme or children's story and hope one of you knowledgeable people will tell me. Maybe it's the old woman who lived in a shoe - but I don't think so?

10 June 2007

The area surrounding the new port of Fontvieille - and this includes the circus tent, the heliport and the Princess Grace rose garden is on land reclaimed from the sea. Here you see some of the attractive apartment buildings - all on reclaimed land.

09 June 2007

Walking the dog, talking on the telephone. This little Westie looks unhappy but in fact he or she is, I suspect, very old. The lady was very gentle, walking at the dog's slow pace. Not that I think she could have walked too fast in those shoes!

08 June 2007

Amongst all the massive modern yachts, you sometimes find a gem like this tall ship, the Pogoria. She is tucked away to one side of the port - more or less in front of Stars n' Bars. She was built in 1980 in Gdansk for the Iron Shackle Fraternity which is a marine educational project sponsored by Polish National television. You can read more at this link.

05 June 2007

...or should this post be called Cars and Boats and Planes, tra la la - except I think that song was Trains and Boats and Planes, wasn't it?

I walked around the main port of Monaco today. Never have I seen so many yachts - in the port, spilling out of the port, out at sea. In addition, there are three or four massive massive cruise liners - one in port, the others anchored out at sea. Most of the yachts in the section of the port in this photograph had crews hard at work cleaning up and preparing to the next playground, ready for the owner to jet in and have fun.

Do you ever think 'where did we go wrong?' I always thought by the time I was 40 I'd have a personal masseur every day and a box of Kleenex in every room. (Yeah, well time was when loo roll had to do to wipe my nose!) So time passed, life got better and now I've got a box of Kleenex in every room. The masseur somehow didn't materialise and as for Big Boys' Toys...I missed the boat. Do I care? No way, José!

04 June 2007

Why not relax on this bench in a corner of the Princess Grace Rose Garden. We could sun ourselves and chat and then perhaps walk around and look at more roses. This lovely one is called Gites de France.

03 June 2007

This hotel, which looks as if it's about to fall off the cliff is the Vista Palace Hotel. Built on a rock, 333 metres above Monte Carlo, it's actually situated in Roquebrune-cap-Martin. The views are stupendous over the Principality and in the other direction across to Menton and Italy.

02 June 2007

Monte Carlo Ladies are a breed apart and I'd like to introduce a few of them to you over the coming weeks and months. Most are locals. They dress to walk the dog, they dress to go to the supermarket. I will only present a rear or side-view to give privacy.

This smartly dressed lady may not be a local tho. She is walking alongside the Louis XV restaurant in the Hotel de Paris and so perhaps is staying there? Perhaps she works there. I don't know. I find when I photograph a person, my imagination runs away with me and by the time I get home, I know her whole life, which of course I don't. What do you think this lady is doing and why is she walking towards the entrance of the Hotel de Paris on Casino Square?

01 June 2007

No, it's not my room! (See Menton Daily Photo for that). This was taken from the balcony of good friends in Monte Carlo who live over the Start/Finish line of the Monaco Grand Prix. He is a well-known retired British racing driver and lives out his retirement years in the perfect place.

To see other views from other rooms around the world, please click on the links below.